


My work is done

by LoveDevilKing



Series: Monster [1]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chloe learns the truth, Multi, takes place in season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-09-28 07:30:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveDevilKing/pseuds/LoveDevilKing
Summary: Chloe learns the truth about Lucifer in a traumatic way.  Can Dr. Linda help her friend or is it too much for Chloe to overcome?





	1. The truth will set you free.

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to write my take on how Chloe learns the truth. Set in somewhere in Season 3 probably between "Let Pinhead Sing" and "The Angel of San Bernardino". This is the first in the series so there will be other stories to follow. Canon divergent in that Chloe never agrees to marry Pierce but she does date him for awhile. I think you'll get the jest.  
Rated Mature for intense themes and some language
> 
> P.S. To everyone who has left a Kudos on my other works, I simply love you all.

Chloe rode up the elevator with a case file in hand. Lucifer had not been at the precinct all day and she really needed his input. The case was going nowhere and he always had a different way of looking at things so she had headed over to Lux hoping he was there. As she neared the top floor, Chloe could discern raised voices but couldn’t make out any words. She hoped she wasn’t interrupting anything. The doors opened and Chloe saw that the voices belonged to Lucifer and Maze. When he noticed that the elevator had arrived, Lucifer turned, yelled “WHAT!” and shattered Chloe’s world.

Time stood still. She couldn’t move. Her brain forgot how to function; frozen by the fiery red eyes looking back at her from Lucifer’s face.

RUN!

This thought finally penetrated her numb brain and she heeded its command. Before she knew it, she was pressing the ground floor button repeatedly, willing the elevator to start moving NOW. She thought she heard her name before the doors closed but she wasn’t sure. All she could think about was getting Trixie and going away, far, far away. As soon as she was released from the elevator, she fled across the nightclub. Fortunately, there were not many people about so no one stopped her. She managed to get to her car and jumped inside. She kept expecting _him_ to show up at any moment. Could he do that? Could he just appear out of thin air? He was the Devil! She didn’t know what he could do.__

_ _She fumbled with the keys trying to get them in the ignition but her hands were shaking so bad they wouldn’t go in. _'Come on, come on'_ she silently coaxed herself until finally the key slid home. She cranked the car and roared out of the garage.___ _

_ _ _ _Chloe was on autopilot. She had no concept of time passing, her mind was replaying moments of the past two years in a never-ending film loop. So many things started to make sense. The supernatural strength, his affect on people, the way perps were reduced to a quivering mess; everything made so much sense now._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _A horn blaring caused her to jump and scream out. She hadn’t realized that the light had changed. She moved through the intersection but pulled over because she wasn’t sure where she was. Looking around she realized that she was heading in the completely opposite direction from Trixie’s school. She had to get a grip on herself so she took several deep breaths trying to get a handle on her panic._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _She screamed when her phone rang._ _ _ _

_ _ _ _She didn’t want to answer it, didn’t want to touch it. What if it was _him_? She must have tossed it on the passenger seat when she got in the car because it was sitting there vibrating and ringing. The thought that it might be the precinct was the only reason she picked it up and saw Linda’s name on the caller-id.___ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _“Linda, this really isn’t….,” she addressed the woman on the phone._ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _“Chloe,” Linda rushed to speak over her, “are you alright? Where are you?”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _“I don’t… I can’t…. I need to go.” Chloe stumbled over her words, panic clawing its way up her throat._ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _“Chloe, listen to me. I know.” Linda’s voice was calm and reassuring._ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _“What?” Chloe gasped out._ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _“I know. About Lucifer. I know the truth.” Linda hoped Chloe could hear her. She knew what the other woman was going through. She had been there; knew how it turned your world upside down._ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Chloe was not expecting that. Linda knew? Knew that Luci… she couldn’t bring herself to think his name but Linda’s confession had the affect of snapping her out of her panic._ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _“How?” she asked but of course she knew. Linda was his therapist so it made a certain kind of sense. A memory floated to the surface of her brain, _'I think I broke my therapist,'_ he said. She knew what he meant now.___ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _”Chloe, can you get to my office? Please. I know what you’re going through. Just come over and we’ll talk.” Linda pleaded, hoping she would come._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“I don’t know,” she replied. Part of her still wanted to flee but another part of her didn’t want to be alone. Linda was her friend and she knew the truth; had known for a while apparently. Her initial panic had calmed somewhat so she said, “Okay."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Please drive safe. No one is here so just come on in. I’ll be waiting for you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Chloe ended the call and headed toward Beverly Hills._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Lucifer was not having a good day. As if things weren’t bad enough with the Detective dating that human stain Pierce, Maze was being even more demanding than usual about returning to Hell; telling him that he needed to take her back or she was leaving because she couldn’t stay here any longer. She had never talked to him this way in the past. Everyone was abandoning him all over again and he had had enough. He could feel weeks of pain and fury build up within his veins, wanting an outlet. So, when he heard the elevator, he decided that whomever had the nerve to disturb the Devil in his lair would feel the full force of his wrath._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“WHAT!” he snarled, not caring who it was. He could never have dreamed that it would be the Detective standing there, staring at him with wide terrified eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _In an instant all his anger faded and he called out her name but it was too late, the elevator doors closed and she was gone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Well, at least that cat’s out of the bag.” Maze said as she made her way over to the bar for a drink._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“What are you talking about?” Lucifer addressed her, confusion at what just happened written all over his face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Chloe knows the truth.” At his clueless expression she continued, “Your eyes. They’ve been blazing for that last 10 minutes.” Her tone was casual._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“But that’s impossible. Dad took all that away when he stuck my wings on my back.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Maze just shrugged. He could believe her or not. She really didn’t care at this point. She thought it was high time that Decker knew the truth. A small part of her hoped this would drive Lucifer back to Hell and he would take her with him. She was done with Earth and humanity in general._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Lucifer did believe her; it was the only thing that explained what happened. Chloe saw his red Devil eyes and fled. She knew the truth. About him. A sharp pain settled in the middle of his chest making it hard to breathe. He had to fix this. He took out his phone and dialed the Detective’s number. It just rang until it finally went to voice mail so he hung up and tried again. It went to voicemail again. He was growing desperate._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Don’t just stand there, help me, Mazikeen,” he demanded. She helped get him into this mess, she could help him get out of it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Call Linda,” she said, throwing back a shot._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“I really don’t think NOW is the time for a therapy session,” he exclaimed, his voice rising in panic._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“No, she’s the only other human who knows who you are. Maybe she can help.” Maze informed him. Geez, see what emotions reduced you to, she thought to herself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“That – is actually a good idea.” He conceded and dialed Linda’s number._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Chloe finally made it across town to Linda’s office. She had taken the time during the drive to calm down enough to not be a danger to herself or other drivers on the road. She parked at Linda’s building and went inside. It wasn’t until she was at the door that she had a premonition that Lucifer (she winced when she thought his name) might be there. Maybe Linda would try to get them to talk. Maybe Lucifer would force her to. Without thinking about it, she reached for her gun._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Linda must have heard a sound in the waiting room because she was suddenly at the door to the inner office. Chloe trained her gun at the petite woman who was standing there with her hands in the air._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Chloe! It’s all right. Please lower the gun. It’s all right.” Linda had her hands out-stretched in a calming gesture hoping Chloe’s training would kick in and she wouldn’t shoot an unarmed civilian._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Chloe let out a strangled sob but lowered her gun. What was she doing? Pulling her gun on Linda?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“There’s no one here,” she said as if reading her thoughts. “Come in and we’ll talk.” She went over to her and gently led her to the office couch. When Chloe sat down, Linda poured her a glass of water and handed it to her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Chloe took the glass with shaky hands. Linda didn’t say anything, just sat next to her offering her support._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“It’s all true,” was all she said, looking at Linda’s kind face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Yes.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _She broke down and sobbed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Linda wrapped her arms around Chloe as she cried. She would give her friend all the comfort she could. After a while, Chloe’s sobs turned to short hitched breaths and Linda finally eased her back to look her in the face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Better?” Linda asked her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Chloe simply nodded. She was sure she looked a mess but she really didn’t care. She finally felt more in control of herself and her panic had eased with her crying._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“You called. How…?,” she managed to get out, looking beseechingly at Linda._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Lucifer called. He told me you knew the truth about him.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“How is this even possible?” she asked, her voice quivering. She took the tissue Linda offered and wiped her face. “I mean, he’s told me since day one but how could I believe him, you know?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Linda nodded. “Chloe, you live in Los Angeles where every third person believes he’s either the Pope or Abraham Lincoln. It is completely understandable that you didn’t believe him. I didn’t.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“But if he could have proved it, why didn’t he?” Chloe was struggling between being angry that he had convinced Linda but not her, his partner, and fear now that she knew the truth. She was so confused._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“I might have had something to do with that.” Linda confessed. “When I basically demanded that he be completely honest with me, I totally freaked out and refused to talk or see him for weeks. I rejected him; something that he has come to expect from everyone who knows him. I believe he was most afraid of your reaction because he, well, he really cares for you. Deeply.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Chloe wasn't sure how she felt about what Linda said about Lucifer's feelings. She would deal with that later but the idea of Lucifer being abandoned struck a chord in her heart. “And I ran away,” the guilt was a vicious beast tearing at her insides._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Humans throughout history have been conditioned to fear the Devil and his face is pretty horrible. Your fear is a completely normal reaction.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Face? He has a different _face_?” Chloe’s eyes went wide.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Wait, you didn’t see his face? What did you see?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Eyes,” she swallowed with difficulty, “Red glowing eyes as if he were made of fire.” Her whole body began trembling at the memory._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“I’m sure that was scary enough.” Linda was glad Chloe was talking. She hadn’t started dealing with all the other major issues that Lucifer’s true identity would lead to but Linda thought this was a good start._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Oh God!” Chloe heaved a huge sigh then straightened up before saying, “Wait, God. God is real?! Shit!” Her heart began beating faster and her breathing quickened. “And Amenadiel is an Angel. And Maze….” Here she stopped as the thought of what Maze actually was suddenly hit her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Linda knew this was bound to happen so she stepped in to try to help her through the panic attack._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Chloe, take a breath. Come on, breathe with me,” she coaxed, keeping eye contact, “Breathe in and hold, one, two, three and out one, two, three. Good. And again, in, one, two, three and out, one, two, three.” With each repetition she would breathe in and out to the same rhythm until the panic left Chloe’s eyes. It didn’t take very long before Chloe took a deep shuttering breath._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Yes, Maze is a Demon,” Linda told her in a calm voice while looking her straight in the eyes, demanding her attention. “She has always told you who she was, same as Lucifer. They have both been honest with us from the beginning.” When Chloe started to protest, she held up a hand and continued, “I know it’s difficult to wrap your head around all this but you have to realize that THEY haven’t changed, you have. You have known them both for years now. Do you honestly think that they were waiting around until you knew the truth before harming you or your daughter?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Chloe shook her head. Linda was making sense but she was still frightened._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Of course not,” Linda continued, “Maze thinks the world of your daughter and Trixie thinks the same of Maze. Maze would never hurt her and, I dare say, she would protect Trixie with her life.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Chloe didn’t know how to respond. What Linda said was true. Trixie loved Maze, had been upset when she moved out and she absolutely adored Lucifer, much to his chagrin. She has never been afraid of either of them but how could she be; she didn’t know what they really were and it was Chloe’s job to protect her daughter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“What am I supposed to do now?” She implored, desperate for any port in this storm of emotions._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“First, you are going to pick up your daughter from school. Go home. Cook her dinner. Help her with her homework then watch tv or play a game.” At Chloe’s look of confusion, Linda continued, “Do all the things you normally would. But after you put Trixie to bed, I want you to get a large glass of wine and take a hot bath and let the memories come. Whatever they are. Even if you think they may overwhelm you, let them come so you can deal with them. You have my number; you can call me at any time. I’ve cleared my schedule so, if you need me, I’m here.” Linda finished, holding Chloe’s hands. Letting her know that she wasn’t alone in this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Chloe looked at Linda, amazed at the friendship the other woman was offering her. Chloe never had any female friends growing up; too much jealousy and pettiness to allow real friendships, but Linda had turned out to be one of her greatest friends. For the first time since she found out the truth about Lucifer, Chloe thought everything might turn out okay._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _“Thank you,” her voice broke with relief and thankfulness._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	2. Lend me your ear

Chloe heard a noise and was instantly awake. She reached for her firearm on the bedside table. She normally didn’t bring her gun to bed but she felt better having it close given the day she had had. She had taken Linda’s advice and tried to act normally, mostly so Trixie wouldn’t worry. She thought she was pretty successful but she knew she wasn’t very attentive to the movie Trix picked out. When it was time to go to bed however, Chloe asked if Trixie wanted to sleep with her that night. When Trixie asked why, Chloe just said that she had a bad day and needed extra cuddles. Trixie was happy to give her mom all the cuddles she could handle.

Now wide awake, she checked on Trixie but the child was still fast asleep. She eased out of bed and cautiously made her way to the bedroom door. She listened for several minutes before opening the door and entering the hallway. She didn’t hear anything so she made her way down the stairs. She hugged the wall hoping the stairs didn’t creak but stopped when she thought she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. After waiting to see if it happened again, she continued to the last step. She took a minute to center herself and concentrate on her training. 

_Turn the corner, sweep left to right, clear the room___

_ _With these thoughts in her head, Chloe moved out from the stairwell and aimed her gun toward the kitchen. Nothing was there. She could see fairly well due to the lights in the courtyard streaming through the window. She stepped closer to the table in order to see the area between the peninsula and the island but no one was hiding there. She looked at the other side of the island with the same result. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding when she heard “Hello Detective” in a voice she would know anywhere. She whirled around to stare into the crimson irises of her partner._ _

_ _

_ _Chloe screamed and flew up off the bed into a sitting position. She wasn’t sure where she was or what had happened but her skin was clammy with sweat and her heart was racing._ _

_ _“Mommy?” Trixie’s voice was slurred from sleep. “You okay?”_ _

_ _“Yes,” Chloe rushed to reassure her, “Just a bad dream. It’s okay, baby. Go back to sleep.” She gathered her daughter close, drawing comfort from her presence and her clean unique scent. She buried her face in Trixie’s hair and breathed her in, waiting for her heart to slow. She didn’t sleep for the rest of the night.”_ _

_ _

_ _”I had a nightmare last night.” _ _

_ _Chloe was sitting in Linda’s office later that day. After lying awake for the remainder of the night, she got up and got Trixie off to school before calling in to work, claiming illness. She just couldn’t handle work and deal with what she was going through at the moment. _ _

_ _“Understandable. What happened?” Linda was sitting in her chair facing the couch. She knew Chloe wasn’t a client, in the true sense of the word, but she thought putting some distance between them while they talked would help Chloe rely on herself and her own strength while still providing a comforting presence._ _

_ _“I don’t remember much, maybe a noise, something waking me up. Then Lucifer said ‘detective’, I think and I saw red eyes. I don’t remember much.” _ _

_ _“Sometimes dreams are the way for the brain to try and make sense of what it has taken in for the day. Its way of processing that information and you've had a lot of new, frightening information to process. It is not surprising that you had a nightmare.”_ _

_ _“You’re probably right, but now I’m afraid to go to sleep. I’m afraid to go to the precinct because he might be there. I’m afraid he is going to show up at my house. Linda, I can’t live like this.”_ _

_ _“Chloe, it’s only been a day. Give yourself some credit. This is not easy stuff to deal with. And I can set your mind at ease about Lucifer just showing up anywhere. He has promised me that he will not see you or try to contact you in any way until you specifically ask to see him. He will not come to the precinct or your home until you say. Trust me, he is a man of his word and he will not break a vow.”_ _

_ _Linda’s words had the desired effect on her. She trusted Linda and believed what she said because deep down she knew that Lucifer always told the truth and he never broke a promise. If he said he would not contact her until she was ready to see him, he would do exactly that._ _

_ _“Maze has made the same promise. She will not try to contact you or Trixie unless you specifically ask her to.” Linda added when she saw that Chloe was taking this all in._ _

_ _“Thank you, Linda. You don’t know how much I appreciate this. You helping me, I mean. How did you get through it? I mean, there wasn’t anyone that you could talk to.” Chloe had done a lot thinking last night and had even had to call Linda while she was in the bath when she had a freak out about kissing Lucifer._ _

_ _“No, I didn’t have anyone who knew who Lucifer was but I did have a therapist friend who helped me. Course I just told him I had a patient who revealed something extremely upsetting and needed help dealing with it.” Linda smiled at the memory. She still wondered what her friend thought was really going on. “Anyway, it was Maze that helped me gain a better perspective.”_ _

_ _Chloe just looked at Linda, waiting for her to continue._ _

_ _“Maze helped me realize that everything was essentially the same. She was still Maze and Lucifer was just Lucifer. No ulterior motives, no sinister plans, just a Devil and a Demon who got tired of Hell and decided to take a vacation.”_ _

_ _Chloe had to laugh at that and it felt good to laugh. It didn’t make her world any less turned upside down but it helped ease the tightness in her chest whenever she thought about Lucifer and how much he had become a part of her life._ _

_ _“But all the other stuff, how do you deal with that? Angels, demons. Heaven and Hell are actual places. I never believed any of it and now it’s all true?” Chloe could feel herself losing a grip on her sanity; she had several such moments last night in the tub._ _

_ _“I’d like try something that might help you get a handle on this. Are you willing to try?” Linda asked._ _

_ _“I’ll try just about anything at this point,” Chloe replied, eager for any suggestion that would help her wrap her brain around her new reality._ _

_ _“Okay, close your eyes,” Linda began. She had to smile at Chloe when she rolled her eyes, it did sound sort of cheesy but the other woman did as she asked.  
__

__“Imagine that you are in a very large room. The room is completely dark and filled with furniture you can’t see but it’s alright, the room has been this way your whole life. You move about the room with complete ease and maybe you brush up against a chair or a table but it’s fleeting so you shake it off because the dark room is safe and familiar. Now imagine someone comes along and turns on the lights and suddenly you can see everything. You see all the furniture but it’s always been there. The only difference is that now you can see and you can’t turn off the light.”_ _

_ _Chloe opened her eyes and just looked at Linda. Her words swirling around in her brain and settling down deep in her psyche as if it belonged there and she knew they were the absolute truth. A feeling of calmness radiated out from her center that almost made her cry. It was several minutes before she could say anything and then it was only to say ‘Thank you’ once more before telling Linda that she wanted to go home and see if she could get some rest. They hugged goodbye before Chloe left._ _

_ _

_ _The following days saw Linda talking to Chloe almost every day although she never came back to the office. She had rescheduled all her patients for the week so she would be available for her friend but she was still able to get caught up on paperwork and finish notations in her patient charts. After a few days, Linda thought it might be a good time to see Lucifer. He had been staying away from the office for fear of running into Chloe. Linda made sure to tell Chloe that she would hopefully be seeing Lucifer so to call before coming to the office. Chloe said she understood._ _

_ _Lucifer arrived looking as impeccable as ever. His Hugo Boss three-piece gray suit and midnight blue Prada shirt set off his tall frame to perfection. His shoes were shined and his hair was perfectly coiffed. He sat on the couch, leaned back and crossed his legs; the picture of calm collectedness. But there was a tightness around his mouth and eyes that spoke of unease. _ _

_ _“I’m glad you came Lucifer. How are you?” Linda spoke, concern gracing her features._ _

_ _“Perfectly well as you can see,” he replied sweeping his hands down his torso; a teasing smirk on his face._ _

_ _Linda wasn’t fooled. “I know this cannot be easy for you. Chloe finding out your true identity then running away.”_ _

_ _Lucifer looked down at his hands; fingers twisting his ring. “It’s to be expected, I suppose.” He wouldn’t meet Linda’s eyes. He didn’t want her to see just how much Chloe’s rejection hurt him._ _

_ _“As much as I know you are hurting, I have to say, I am glad that she knows.”_ _

_ _Lucifer looked up at that, unsure what she was trying to say._ _

_ _“Moving forward is always the best course. Having that secret between you was not health Lucifer, you must see that.”_ _

_ _“No, Doctor. I don’t.” He couldn’t believe that it was better for the Detective to be scared out of her mind just because he couldn’t control his temper. He wanted her to know, it’s true, but not like that._ _

_ _“Lucifer,” she said trying to reason with him, “Chloe is a very intelligent woman. Yes, she is frightened right now but she is dealing with it. She needs to deal with it if your partnership is to continue. It may not have been the best way to let her know but she does now and we have to trust that she will find her way through it.”_ _

_ _He so wanted what Linda said to be true. That the Detective would find a way to forgive him and that he hadn’t driven her away for good. He didn’t know what he would do if she didn’t._ _

_ _She decided to switch topics. “How is Maze?”_ _

_ _“We are not speaking at the moment.” His demeanor turning cold. “If it wasn’t for her - unreasonableness, none of this would have happened.”_ _

_ _“You do realize that none of this is Maze’s fault?” He just looked at her. _ _

_ _“Of course, it is.” His tone said he couldn’t believe she was this dense._ _

_ _“Maze is hurting and wants to return home. Why is that so unreasonable?” Linda asked, really curious._ _

_ _“Because she was created to know where I am at all times and protect my back. She can’t leave me.” He hadn’t meant to add that last statement but he couldn’t take it back now._ _

_ _Linda nodded, understanding what the problem really was. “If I remember correctly, you released Maze from your service. You gave her the freedom to choose.”_ _

_ _“Yes, but I didn’t expect her to use it.” Maze had been with him since the beginning. It never occurred to him that she wouldn’t always be there._ _

_ _“Sometimes we have to accept a person’s choice even when we don’t agree with it. Have you told Maze why you don’t want to take her back?”_ _

_ _“It wouldn’t do any good. She won’t listen to me anymore. But maybe she’ll listen to you.” His eyes lit up at the thought. “Yes, you can tell her that she is wrong and she has to stay here.” He felt better already._ _

_ _“Um..no, Lucifer, I’m not going to do that.” Linda was used to his attempts at deflection but it was always a struggle._ _

_ _“Fine,” he huffed. “I may try to talk to her again and convince her that she wants to stay.”_ _

_ _Linda let it go for now. Tiny victories. She sat quietly for several minutes. Sometimes silence could draw out more information than any amount of questions._ _

_ _“How is she?” He couldn’t help asking; his voice soft. The look in his eyes spoke of his worry._ _

_ _Linda smiled, not surprised what was most on his mind. She didn’t even have to ask who ‘she’ was. “It’s been pretty rough; I won’t lie. But she is talking and that is a good thing. She’s a strong woman, Lucifer.”_ _

_ _He nodded. She was one of the strongest women he knew, he just wished…._ _

_ _“Do you…do you think that she will get better? That we can – work together again?” He hated the pleading note in his voice but was helpless to control it._ _

_ _“In time, I think so, yes.” Linda wasn’t sure she should be giving him any hope but she did believe that Chloe would come around and sooner than she did herself._ _

_ _“I hope you are correct, Doctor. I really miss h - work.” He corrected himself at the last minute. He hoped she didn’t hear his near slip up._ _

_ _If she noticed, she didn’t bring it up. “You are doing exactly what you need to do; giving her time and that may be the hardest thing. The waiting. But Lucifer, I’m going to ask you to do something even harder.”_ _

_ _He looked at her expectantly. What could she ask him to do that was worse than this incessant waiting?_ _

_ _“I want you to have faith,” she stated simply._ _

_ _His mouth dropped open. He couldn’t believe he heard her correctly. “Faith! In my Father!” his voice incredulous._ _

_ _“No, in Chloe.”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not a psychiatrist or psychologist so whatever 'advice' Linda gives is strictly from my own twisted brain.


	3. Moving forward

So, was this her life now? A nervous twitchy mess of a detective consigned to desk duty for the foreseeable future. 

It had been a week since she learned the truth about Lucifer. Seven long stressful days and even longer nights with no appetite and little sleep. It had left her jumping at shadows and having trouble concentrating. Why she hadn’t been fired yet was still a mystery.

When she had left Linda’s office, she went home and laid down to try to sleep but to no avail. Within 30 minutes she was back downstairs trying to figure out what to do with herself. Unfortunately, she did the one thing she probably shouldn’t have, got on the internet. Over 10,000 hits on ‘Lucifer’ alone, each entry more confusing than the last and contradictory to boot. ‘Lightbringer’, ‘Poison of God’, ‘Star of Morning’, ‘Satan’ and ‘Samael’ were just a few of the names used to describe him. When she searched on Lucifer Morningstar, images of the man himself flooded her screen. Pictures of him at Lux, him with any number of starlets on his arm, amateur video taken of him performing, all showing the man in his element and enjoying life. None of them helped her understand the man she knew as her partner. 

One of the more disturbing websites described the fall of Samael, beloved of God to the Adversary, Satan. Supposedly using the Bible as reference, it described how Samael wished to usurp his father and take over control of Heaven and started a rebellion. He was ultimately defeated with the Archangel Michael stabbing him with a flaming sword and driving him to Hell. Was that true? Did his family really do that to him, hurt him? And what about what Linda said about another face? Was it a result of his Fall into apparently a lake of fire? With these thoughts swirling in her head, she fell asleep on the couch only to wake up screaming with visions of fire and war clouding her mind. 

Saturday and Sunday provided no relief. She took Trixie to the beach but found herself looking at everyone she met and thinking “are they a Demon, could they be an Angel”? She was questioning all of her perceptions. She ended up drinking herself to sleep two nights running. 

Monday morning had her oversleeping and almost late for work and it didn’t get any better as the day went on. Lucifer was everywhere even when he wasn’t in the building. From the desk Sargent asking how he was doing to the evidence clerk telling her NOT to tell her partner that they made a major drug bust over the weekend. She nearly broke down crying when she went to get a coffee in the break room.

It was a simple thing. When she got her cup out of the cabinet, she saw it. It was a gag gift she gave him for the first Christmas they worked together. She got it off a website that allowed you to customize. The cup said “World’s Greatest Devil” and he had loved it. It was his favorite cup even though he never drank coffee in it. Blinking back the tears, she closed the cabinet and returned to her desk.

The rest of the week was more of the same except now she had no cases to work to take her mind off things. Pierce had called her out for inattention several times in the bullpen and made a point of handing off the newest case to Riley and Finch because as he said “I need my best team on this one.” 

By Wednesday, she had had enough of Marcus and his dickish behavior. After grilling her about a case (the case she had originally went to Lucifer with) and berating her in front Ella, he had had the nerve to ask if she wanted to go get a bite to eat after work. She couldn’t believe his audacity. With more calm than she felt, she told him that she had other plans and also, she thought that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea for them to see each other anymore. He, of course, thought it was because of Lucifer and told her so but she countered that it was because he was her boss and it was unprofessional. Since then he had been giving her nasty looks or pointedly ignoring her. She couldn’t say she missed him.

Now she was sitting at her desk and feeling just wretched. She had been talking to Linda but there really wasn’t much more that her friend could do at this point. For every question Chloe posed, Linda’s response was always, “You need to speak to Lucifer” or “Only Lucifer can answer that.” She didn’t know if that was true or if she was just gently pushing her toward speaking to the man. It was probably the latter and it may have been working. 

She missed him. She came to that realization this morning. She missed his manic glee, his irreverence for rules, his horrible puns, his stupid smug face. She missed the way he had of making her look at things differently and trust her instincts. 

And that was the crux of the matter. Her instincts. She had always relied on them but that had been severely shaken when she learned the truth about Lucifer. How could she have been so blind? The evidence was there, she just willfully ignored it. What kind of detective was she? A good detective always followed the evidence no matter what where it led. Linda would tell her that this was different. Divinity was not something humans had much experience with and her skepticism was normal but it didn’t soothe her bruised professional ego. 

She knew what she had to do. She had to see him. Strangely once she made that decision, her mind settled and she felt calmer. She started making her plans. 

First, she went to Dan and asked if he would take Trixie this weekend even though it wasn’t his usual weekend. He said he would and offered to keep her through the next week if she didn’t mind. After a moment’s thought, she agreed. She would miss her daughter but it might do her good. Trixie needed some stability and Chloe was not providing it. Dan had really stepped up lately when it came to their daughter. Ever since he had started seeing Charlotte, he had been more attentive to Trixie and a staunch supporter of Chloe at the precinct. Thoughts of the former defense attorney led to memories of Charlotte telling her that she was Lucifer’s father’s ex-wife. Was she really married to God? Just another of the many questions she had for Lucifer.

Next, she called Linda. She thought about calling Lucifer directly but chickened out at the last minute. It was easier to use Linda as their go between. That way she didn’t have to hear him say he didn’t want to see her. When Linda said she was not seeing anyone today (read Lucifer), she gathered her stuff and left the precinct.

“I want to see him.” Chloe was sitting on the couch in Linda’s office, twisting her hands in her lap.

“Are you sure, Chloe? It’s alright if you’re not ready.” Linda quietly cautioned her.

“No, I’m sure,” she nodded. “I need to see him. I have so many questions and I can’t get answers from any one but him.” She had to make a change, move forward because she was going to go crazy if she didn’t.

“I understand your need for answers but please don’t feel you need to rush into anything. It could be a traumatic experience as well.” Linda remembered her time when she peppered Lucifer with questions and how some of the answers affected her. Some things she still wished she didn’t know.

“Linda, I really have thought about this. I need to know. Everything. He’s always told me the truth, even when I didn’t believe him and honestly, I miss him.” She said this last in a small voice. 

Linda smiled. Impressed that Chloe was willing to admit that. 

“I know it’s going to be hard but it’s got to be better than this limbo I’ve been living in.” Chloe spoke with more confidence because it was true. She couldn’t go on like this, with these thoughts and questions plaguing her. “How is he, by the way?” Chloe didn’t even know she was going to ask Linda this until it was out of her mouth.

Linda couldn’t help the huge smile that stretched across her face. This was progress indeed.

“He is well but he has been very worried about you,” she told her. After a moment when Chloe didn’t speak and continued to look at her hands, she asked, “What would you like me to do?”

“Would you call him? Ask him if he’ll see me? Does he even want to see me?” she asked the last hoping for a positive response. If he didn’t want to see her, she didn’t know what she would do.

“Yes, Chloe, he wants to see you,” Linda said, easing Chloe’s mind on that score.

Chloe nodded and waited as Linda got her phone and made the call.

Lucifer had spent a miserable week stuck up in the Penthouse. He had tried keeping busy but for an immortal being, time was meaningless. Every night saw him downstairs trying to lose himself in the music, lights, and general revelry that was Lux but so far it wasn’t working. The music felt flat, the liquor tasteless and the hopeful playmates unappealing. He was actually starting to think that returning to Hell was a viable option. At least Maze would be happy.

He missed working cases with the Detective, missed punishing the bad guys they tracked down, but mostly he missed her. She had become an integral part of his life and moving on without her was proving difficult. With Maze gone, Patrick had taken over the day to day operations of the club, but he wasn’t as efficient as Maze and so Lucifer found himself looking over the books and invoices, in other words, paperwork. He had to grin. What would the Detective think of him actually doing paperwork? On second thought, he hoped she never found out or she would expect it of him in the future. If there even was a future. He sighed and got up to get another drink. 

Taking his drink out onto the balcony, he was stopped by the ringing of his phone. He debated ignoring it but when he saw Linda’s name, he picked it up.

“Hello, Doctor.”

“Lucifer, have I caught you at a bad time?” Linda asked.

“Not at all. Just biding my time until I can go downstairs for the evening. What can I do for you?” He had no idea why she would be calling him. Maybe she thought he needed another therapy session? He hadn’t been in a while.

“Chloe would like to see you.”

Lucifer went absolutely still. He didn’t even breathe. “What did you say?” his voice little more than a whisper. He couldn’t believe what she said was true.

“I said that Chloe would like to see you. Tomorrow if that’s alright.” They had decided that giving them both a day to get ready for the meeting was a smart move and for Chloe, she wouldn’t have to worry about Trixie as she would be with Dan. 

“You do want to see her, don’t you?” Linda couldn’t help asking when Lucifer remained quiet. Doubt began creeping into her mind.

“Yes. Yes, of course, I do.” Lucifer finally got out once his heart started beating again. She wanted to see him? She wasn’t afraid of him? No, she was probably still frightened but was she really ready to give him a chance? Hope bloomed in his heart and spread throughout his entire being.

“Then we will see you tomorrow around 4?” Chloe had asked if Linda would go with her because, dammit, she was afraid to go alone. Linda instantly agreed. As she told Chloe, she was here for her and she didn’t have to do this alone.

Lucifer didn’t miss the ‘we’ but at this point he didn’t care. Linda might even be helpful if he had trouble expressing himself. He wasn’t good with feelings.

“I look forward to seeing you both.”


	4. The End of the Beginning

Lucifer spent the whole day getting ready for the Detective. He cleaned the penthouse from top to bottom but he was still feeling unwell. He would not admit that he was nervous. The former Lord of Hell did not get nervous. He tried passing the time at his piano but nothing felt right when he played. His fingers just couldn’t bring out the right expression in the music. He kept expecting the phone to ring at any moment and cancel the evening but so far that hadn’t happened. He had high expectations and the wait was killing him.

Chloe was actually feeling calmer than she expected. She always worked better when she had a plan and now was no different. She finally felt like she was doing something. She went to work and concentrated on her open cases but left to pick up Trixie from school. When she had told her that she would be spending the weekend and next week with her dad, Trixie was excited. She loved her Dad and Ms. Charlotte a lot and enjoyed spending time with them. She was a little upset about leaving her Mom but Chloe assured her that she would be fine and Trixie could call her at any time.

She was still nervous and a little frightened about seeing Lucifer again but the terror she felt had faded. She knew Lucifer, at least the Lucifer that she had spent the majority of the last couple of years with. What he was shouldn’t change anything. It was just the enormity of everything that came along with realizing that the Devil was real and that he liked solving crimes with her that gave her pause.

She and Linda met up at Lux. Linda had offered to drive them both but Chloe said she wanted to have her own vehicle just in case. It was early enough that the club was quiet, just a few workers getting ready for the Friday night crowd. They waved to Patrick as they made their way to the elevator.

Chloe’s calm began to vanish as the elevator made its assent. Visions of the last time she came up this way flooded her mind and she tried to control her breathing. Linda, sensing Chloe’s discomfort, grabbed her hand and held it. Chloe smiled her thanks and began to feel better. The elevator doors opened to the Penthouse and Linda left first. Chloe hung back for a moment gathering her courage before she too, left the elevator. 

Lucifer was at the bar when the elevator arrived. He looked toward the doors, waiting for his first glimpse of the Detective in over a week. He saw Linda emerge and his heart plummeted but then, there she was. His eyes went straight to her face and he thought she never looked more beautiful. She had her hair down, like he liked it, and wearing her typical Detective get-up of a jacket over her blouse and skinny jeans tucked into her ankle boots. She was breathtaking. 

She didn’t look at him, in fact she looked everywhere but at him but that was fine. He followed her with his eyes as she moved further inside the flat and stopped beside the piano. He thought she mumbled something and smiled but he didn’t hear what she said. He felt a hand on his arm and looked down to see Linda with a soft smile on her face. He blinked and came back to himself.

“Hello, Doctor, Detective.” He looked toward Chloe, hoping that she would finally acknowledge him. She gave him a small smile and it seemed brighter than the sun.

“Can I offer you a drink?” He asked unsure how to proceed. 

“I would like a glass of wine, if you don’t mind. How about you Chloe?” Linda addressed her friend, keeping an eye on her in case she needed her support.

“Yes, thank you.” Chloe’s voice was soft, but she was not falling apart and that was a good thing. She finally looked at Lucifer when she replied, really looked at him. And he was just - Lucifer. She didn’t know what she expected, the boogeyman perhaps, but he was just as he always was. Not a hair out of place and in one of his signature suits, she could almost convince herself that what she saw was a hallucination but she wouldn’t allow herself that luxury. No going back and all that. 

When she first entered the penthouse, it seemed empty. She knew he was there, most likely at the bar, but she wasn’t ready to face him just yet so she looked at everything but him. The books lined up in neat rows in the library to her left and the L.A. skyline visible through the windows leading to the balcony. As she kept walking, she glanced toward the bar on her right and continued onward to the door that led to his bedroom and the fireplace on the far wall. She finally made her way to the largest piece of furniture in the room, his piano. She placed her hand on the ebony surface and gave a small laugh. Furniture in the room, indeed.

Now she took the glass of wine that Lucifer held out to her. She took a fortifying sip and met and held his gaze for the first time since she entered the apartment. What she saw made her feel better than she had felt in a long time. He was just as scared of this encounter as she was. Why would he be scared of her? Who was she to make the Devil afraid? Feeling on somewhat firmer ground now, she took another sip of her wine. Lucifer really did have an excellent wine cellar and she allowed the tannins to flow over her taste buds before swallowing. 

“Can we go outside? The weather is pretty nice today.” She hoped it didn’t sound too corny, talking about the weather but she had to start somewhere when it didn’t look like Lucifer knew what to say.

“Of course, Detective,” he readily agreed.

“If you don’t mind, I think I will stay in here,” Linda addressed them both but directed her statement more toward Chloe than Lucifer.

Chloe nodded her head having actually forgotten that Linda was in the room, so focused on Lucifer as she was. Lucifer had no problem with it either.

Once they made their way onto the balcony, he began to feel on shaky ground once again. What would she say? Would she tell him that she didn’t want to work with him anymore? Didn’t want him in her life or the life of her child? He took a sip of his drink and awaited his fate.

Chloe took a moment to collect herself and stood there looking out over the city. It was a spectacular view and up here, the hustle and bustle of the city was less intrusive. She could see Lucifer out of the corner of her eye and knew he was still nervous. She turned to him and said, “So, Lucifer Morningstar. Is that a stage name or something?”

Lucifer made no reply at first and she began to think he wouldn’t accept her salvo for the olive branch she intended it to be but she tried to stay hopeful.

He was caught off guard by her question, unsure if she was serious or trying to make a joke. But when he saw the look in her eyes, he knew what she was trying to do and he would gladly accept what she was offering.

“God given, actually.” He said with a growing smile on his face and for the first time since she entered his home, he began to relax.

Linda, from her vantage point inside the living room, watched the two on the balcony with affection. She was happy that her friends were working things out because she thought they were good for each other. That she wished they were more than friends; she wouldn’t attempt to deny but she would be happy if they could just continue working together and be friends. She didn’t know what Chloe said to him but her body language was open and inviting. All good things in Linda’s opinion. Whatever she said finally had Lucifer relaxing as he too turned toward Chloe with an open stance. She would give them a few more minutes before she left. It seemed that her work was done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was fun. Stay tuned for more stories folks.


End file.
